7 NFL Coaches On The Hot Seat After Week 6

We were treated to our first head coaching casualty of the 2024 NFL season after the Jets parted ways with Robert Saleh last week, but it seems like it’s only a matter of time until he’s joined by some other guys who should probably be worried about their jobs based on how things have gone so far this year.

Now that we’re a month and a half into the NFL season, it’s become pretty easy to separate the contenders from the pretenders and identify the teams whose fans will probably just breathe a sigh of relief when the campaign comes to a merciful end.

As things currently stand, there are a number of coaches on the hot seat who are probably going to find themselves without a job when we reach that point—although some of them will be lucky to even last for that long.

Doug Pederson—Jaguars

In the immortal words of a character in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants: OH BROTHER THIS GUY STINKS!!!

The Jaguars were able to get their first win of the season against the Colts in Week 5 but looked like the same old Jacksonville team during a 35-16 loss to the Bears on Sunday that made it hard not to wonder how long it’s going to take for the team to move in a new direction.

The 1-5 Jaguars stayed in London as they prepare to face off against a Patriots team with the same record on Sunday, and if they can’t walk away with a victory, Pederson may finally find himself without a job.

Kevin Stefanski—Browns

Kevin Stefanski more than earned his second Coach of the Year title after leading the Browns to the playoffs last season, but the clock is ticking in Cleveland in the wake of a truly abysmal start.

There’s only so much the 1-5 Browns can do to overcome the disadvantage that comes with having an impressively awful Deshaun Watson as a starting QB, but the fact that Stefanski has repeatedly insisted he’s their best option suggests he has no business being the coach of an NFL team.

At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Stefanski is being forced to cater to the desires of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, although he’s publically denied there’s been any interference on that front—and if that is indeed the case, Haslam has to be thinking about exploring some other options.

Mike McCarthy—Cowboys

The Cowboys are still in the playoff hunt after getting off to a 3-3 start, but the vibes in Dallas are the polar opposite of immaculate in the wake of the 47-9 beatdown the Lions inflicted at AT&T Stadium on Jerry Jones’ 82nd birthday.

Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, and at this point, the only realistic way he ends up getting a new one is by leading the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl victory in close to 30 years.

However, it’s pretty hard to imagine he’s going to be able to pull that off.

Dennis Allen—Saints

The Saints seemed like they were going to surpass expectations after kicking off the season with a couple of wins, but they’re in the midst of a four-game skid and fell to 2-4 with a 51-27 loss to the Buccaneers that highlighted the weaknesses of a defense that was supposed to be Dennis Allen’s biggest strength.

Alen has posted an 18-22 record since taking over in New Orleans in 2022, and the team hasn’t made the playoffs during his tenure. There’s still a chance he may be able to right the ship, but things are firmly trending in the wrong direction.

Zac Taylor—Bengals

Zac Taylor’s hot seat got a little cooler after the Bengals improved to 2-4 with a win over the Giants on Sunday night, but he should still be sweating after Cincinnati secured the victory it both needed and was expected to get.

The Bengals still face a fairly steep uphill battle in their quest to make the playoffs after ending up on the outside looking in last season, and the team has simply not played up to the level it’s expected to given the talent it has at its disposal.

Antonio Pierce—Raiders

I’m always hesitant to put a first-year head coach on Hot Seat Watch, but it’s hard to ignore what’s unfolded in Las Vegas since Antonio Pierce officially took over after making a solid impression as an interim skipper last season.

The 2-4 Raiders have a pretty unenviable QB situation, but their defense has also left a ton to be desired more often than not.

The team also doesn’t have a very favorable schedule moving forward, and while I think there’s a chance Pierce gets at least one more year to prove he deserves to be their head coach, that will be very contingent on the record they end up posting.

 

Dave Canales—Panthers

Dave Canales is also a first-year head coach, and he hasn’t exactly kicked off his time with the Panthers with a bang when you consider Carolina is currently sitting at 1-5.

Part of me didn’t want to put Canales on the list when you consider it seems like Panthers owner David Tepper has reached a point where he’s realized he can’t keep kicking coaches to the curb because they fail to immediately produce the desired results.

With that said, there’s also nothing that indicates he’s had a change of heart after swiftly dispatching Steve Wilks and Frank Reich, so I think it’s fair to say Canales is on the hot seat given recent history.